Girl Band - The Early Years

Organized chaos might be the best way to describe Girl Band; four gents from Dublin whose wall of noise is next to impossible to explain. Having taken SXSW in Austin, TX by storm in March 2015, NPR caught wind and gave the boys some nice press. After those props, I was excited to take this little collection for a spin. I think I'm still recovering.

The first thing that jumps out is Dara Kiely's droney voice, which varies from disinterested and dismissive to pissed off mean drunk. It sounds like James Murphy with multiple personality disorder, a song-speak mish-mosh which varies from sentence to sentence. It seamlessly fits the distortion of guitarist Alan Duggan, but even better the pounding rhythm section of bassist Daniel Fox and drummer Adam Faulkner.

Opener 'Lawman' highlights Girl Band's influences, from LCD Soundsytem to Pixies, Bleach-era Nirvana to Nine Inch Nails. The song is a loud grinder, but accessible, showing off the way Girl Band loops and layers their beats and distortion. It's complex, but this makes it fun to listen to. Close your eyes, move your head, and get lost in it.

Out of the four songs, the best is 'Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage', a cover of a song by producer Blawan. It is an almost eight-minute masterpiece, which starts slowly, building into a frenetic sledgehammer of pounding snares and pedal-driven screams, ending with the squeal of Duggan's guitar fading to black. The original is a techno song, but Girl Band deconstructed it and rebuilt it into what is now their sound - noisy, distorted drone-rock.

Girl Band aren't afraid to red-line their songs, even at the risk of blowing up the engine. I am sure these songs played live ensure a mosh-pit experience that leaves the yungins bloodied and bruised, and that Kiely is watching from his vantage point on stage, smirk intact, enjoying the carnage he and his mates have created.